Postdoctoral Researcher, Paleontology

About the California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation. Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

About the Opportunity

The Roopnarine Paleontology Lab at the California Academy of Sciences seeks an exceptional Post-Doctoral Research Associate with expertise in quantitative paleoecology. The applicant will join a new NSF-funded research project to address whether communities at certain times in the past, specifically during and immediately after mass extinctions, may have been structured and functioned differently from communities during more environmentally quiescent times. Food webs have emerged as a paleontologically accessible type of interspecific network, yet their reconstruction remains methodologically challenging. Reconstruction relies on modeling approaches to infer interspecific interactions, all of which operate under a uniformitarian assumption that the principles determining interspecific interactions have remained constant through time. We challenge that uniformitarian assumption by proposing a framework within which to test alternative principles of inferred species properties, particularly following extreme ecological disturbances, offering new insight into paleocommunity structure and function. We will examine late Permian and Early Triassic communities from South China and the northwestern United states, testing both uniformitarian and alternative models. Test systems include boundary- and mass extinction-spanning communities, as well as communities that represent early stages of recovery from the Permian-Triassic mass extinction.

Work will consist of paleocommunity reconstructions, model building and execution, and analytical methods development. The postdoctoral researcher will be involved in all project activities, including field work in China and the United States, travel to and presentation at professional meetings, and publication of project results. They will also assist with collections curation and digitization, project coordination, communication, outreach activities, and formal/informal education. The researcher will be co-mentored by Peter Roopnarine (California Academy of Sciences) and project co-PI Ashley Dineen (University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley), and will have the opportunity to interact with both institutions.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Academy offices at least 2-3 times per week, which may fluctuate based on business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. The initial appointment will be for 12 months, with potential for a second 12 month appointment depending upon performance and funding. 

Organizational Culture
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by Cal Academy Workers United, and will be subject to the terms and conditions of that contract.

Key Responsibilities

• Conducts original biodiversity science research of coral reef taxa in collaboration with Academy scientists and external partners.
• Collaborates on data collection, analysis, and visualization of biodiversity data
• Provides mentorship to undergraduate and graduate students
• Provides regular updates on project progress to funders and partners
• Dedicated to and supports the training of scientists and building capacity in developing countries and to increasing participation of groups historically underrepresented in systematics, evolutionary biology and regeneration. 
• Disseminates findings in written technical reports and academic publications, as well as oral presentations at scientific conferences and public meetings
• Provides specimen identification in areas of expertise as appropriate
• Participates in the Academy's fieldwork, as needed
• Follows all Academy safety regulations
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following:

Experience and/or Education:

A qualified candidate will possess a combination of the following experience and/or equivalent education:

• Ph.D. degree in evolutionary biology, paleontology, geology, data science, or related fields.
• 5 years or more of research experience in biodiversity science, including doctoral work. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (English) and experience in communicating research findings. 
• Strong interest in biodiversity and ability to communicate that passion. 

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities: 

• A background in marine invertebrate paleontology, paleoecology, community ecology, or related field.
• Experience in paleontological or geological field work.
• Experience in quantitative methods or enthusiasm to learn. Subject areas include quantitative ecology, quantitative paleoecology, statistical analysis.
• Committed to working on a team that is striving to be inclusive in work, interactions, systems, and tools
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work collaboratively, and independently when necessary. 
• Flexible and creative
• Programming experience with Julia and/or R, code-sharing systems, Linux systems.

Physical Environment:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, sit, walk, use a computer, and communicate on the phone, in person, and online meetings/calls.  The employee will spend time out-of-doors at events and programs, occasionally in hot or inclement weather. Must be able to transport 30 lbs. Must be able to perform repetitive motions 50% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary for this position is $82,202.00. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-Time/Temporary, 40 hours per week

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).